A Single Smile
by Knowing Grace
Summary: Based on the 2007 film version of Mansfield Park. Henry Crawford's thoughts as he sets his sights on poor Fanny Price.


**Hullo, everyone! If this story seems familiar to anyone, I had posted it once before, but removed it due to the mirrored sites thing. I just recently decided to repost it here again. ;)**

 **This one-shot is based entirely off of the 2007 film version of Jane Austen's _Mansfield Park_ -you know, the one with Billy Piper. Most of the dialogue (especially near the end) comes directly from the film as well-please don't sue me! I claim no credit for the dialogue, only the inner thoughts of the infamous Henry Crawford.**

 **I've got another _Mansfield Park_ story idea floating around in my brain that I'm planning on putting down on paper-or in my case, keyboard-for Camp NaNoWriMo next month, so hopefully you'll be seeing another story from me soon. **

**Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Enjoy!**

* * *

 _ **A Single Smile**_

 _ **by Knowing Grace**_

When little Fanny Price smiled at me I quite hopelessly lost my heart. She stood in the hallway, a little girl of about seven years of age was wrapped in her arms; at that moment, the sun came out from behind a cloud and shone through the window at the end of the corridor, its light forming a halo over the gentle, young woman's head. For a mere second, her gaze found mine and a smile filled with extreme happiness only served to transform her overall appearance into that of an angel.

"Miss Price." I nearly gasped, as such a lovely scene proceeded to knock the breath from my lungs. However, the lady in question did not hear me, nor did she notice the immediate change in my facial expression. I could feel my eyes softening and my lips tugging upwards in a small smile as I watched her spin the girl about. She giggled with all the exuberance of the child in her embrace. Nothing had ever sounded sweeter to my ears than her laughter.

It came to me suddenly that the scene taking place before me would be infinitely more pleasing if Miss Price were my wife and the girl our own daughter.

 _I love her._ The revelation came as a complete shock. Never before had a member of the fairer sex so captivated both my fancy and my heart. What I had felt for Maria Bertram—who, had mere hours before been wedded to that brainless fool, Rushworth—felt as nothing compared to this. I felt as if I had lived my entire life up to this point in darkness, and all of a sudden, someone had lit a candle, allowing me to see for the very first time. Colours seemed brighter than before and finally, my life had a meaning and a purpose.

 _I will do everything within my power to engage her heart,_ I vowed to myself. For her, I would fetch the moon. For her, I would sail the seven seas. For her, I would be a better man, the man that, with her gentle guidance, I knew I could become. I would _do_ anything, _be_ anything so long as I could call her my own.

We were made for one another,to me that much was plain.

As abruptly as it had appeared, the sun once more resumed its game of hide-and-seek and was hidden from my sight by a large, grey cloud.

My new feelings, however, would not be so easily repressed.

"Henry, it's time for us to leave." The voice of my sister pulled me from my revery, and I realized that, apart from Mary, I stood in the middle of an empty corridor—Miss Price and her young companion having left it some minutes before without my knowledge. A childish shriek of delight, sounded in the distance, alerting me to the fact that their play was far from finished.

"Very well." I replied as calmly as I could without giving away how furiously my heart pounded in my breast. It would not do to alert my sister to the sincerity of my affections for Miss...Fanny.

It took no time at all for me to gather up my hat, gloves, and walking cane; once we bid our adieus to the remaining members of the Bertram family, we quickly exited the house and headed for our half-sister's home.

"Until we came here, I never imagined a country cottage could have so much the air of a gentleman's residence. In fact, I've made up my mind to stay longer."

Mary touched my arm, halting our progress down the lane. "Henry, what are you up to?"

I grinned at her. "I fancy having Miss Price fall in love with me." _As much as I already am with her,_ I added silently.

" _Fanny?_ " She exclaimed, disbelief colouring her features. "Oh, what nonsense!" Turning, she continued walking at an accelerated pace, raising her skirts just enough to keep them from trailing in the dust. I rushed after her.

"Haven't you noticed the wonderful improvement in her looks?" _What an angel she is!_

"Look, the truth is there's no one else for you to notice and you have to have _someone_!" She said, and then sighed. "Well...perhaps a little bit of love might do her good." She turned a stern gaze towards me. "She's very sweet and I will not have you make her unhappy. Really, I couldn't bear it if you were to turn out like our step-father."

I frowned. "All I'm asking is to make a small hole in Fanny Price's heart. Is that too much for me to want?" I said. My flippant comment was very far from the truth; I did not want to make a hole in Fanny's heart, I wished to love her, to possess her. In that moment, I would have given anything in the world to have her as my own.

Mary gave me a piercing look. "Very well, but I will not see her injured. She is such a dear girl."

 _Neither would I,_ I added silently and smiled benignly at my sister, offering her my arm when the path became rough. I cast a longing glance over my shoulder at the far away grounds of Mansfield Park and wished that I was arriving there instead of quitting the charming place. Soon, soon I would return and once I secured Fanny's hand in marriage, my plans for our future could be put into action. After all, no woman had ever been able to withstand my charms for more than a sennight; why should the queen of my heart be any different?

 ** _~ The End ~_**


End file.
